The trees at our house (basically the extent of my scenery these days) seem to have turned leafy green overnight! How clever just in time for Earth Day. My daughter looked up today at the contrast of the green trees on the blue sky and said "it looks like the earth." Nature is cool, I have always been a fan! And this time of year it is so much easier to sneak in some gross motor work and dynamic balance by just being outdoors! Going for a walk outside offers opportunities to negotiate uneven surfaces, step over and around obstacles, walk in a visually stimulating environment, feel different textures under your feet, and so much more. To add some special purpose to your "family walk" (which could look like a stroller ride, bike ride, scooter ride, jog, adaptive bike ride) consider doing a scavenger hunt!
And by special purpose I mean...
Parents: want to go for a walk? Kids: "nah" vs. Parents: want to go on a scavenger hunt? Kids: "woo hoo yay!"
You could look for things of different colors, textures, shapes, or use this nature scavenger hunt below! Consider blending some extra games into the walk: red light, green light; walk like me (backwards, sideways, marching), or follow the leader.
The great outdoors is also filled with endless sources of sensory input; breeze in your hair, sun on your face, sweet flower smells, contrasting shadows, and so many things to feel and touch. A walk outside to explore can really tap into a child's senses. To experience a new tactile sensation consider trying a tree rubbing! Every tree is different, so the project will come out different every time. Attach paper to a tree (or simply hold it up) and use crayons to rub over it. Use different color crayons, reposition the paper, or move to another tree. This sneaks in some benefits of working on a vertical surface- on of my favorites- for shoulder stability, bilateral coordination, postural endurance, crossing midline, the works!!
And we can't forget that fine motor play! Crafting and creating offers so many opportunities for fine motor work and dexterity. This Planet Earth coffee filter project is a fun way to pull in skills for letter writing, name sequencing, number writing, patterns (circle, triangle, circle, triangle), or just free coloring for kids beginning to experiment with different grasps and the cause and effect of marker to paper! Have your child write or draw anything they want on the coffee filter using green and blue markers. Then it is time to have fun with water (maybe in the great outdoors again? save the tablecloth?) - try a spray bottle, a medicine dropper, a syringe, a paint brush, or a clothes pin with a pom pom on the end (other ways to work on grasp and fine motor control) to get the coffee filter wet! The result is this pretty tie-dyed looking planet earth.
Have fun exploring and appreciating the BIG beautiful EARTH out there in the sunshine!
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